HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY 2006!

HOPE THIS YEAR IS BETTER THAN THE LAST!
This'll be my last post of the year. I'll be back January 3, 2006.
Thanks for tuning in, folks. See you next year.
Love, Sweepea

Star Sighting of the Day

David Koechner
I went to see "King Kong" last night at the Pacific theater at the Sherman Oaks
Galleria, and I spotted the "Anchorman" actor in line to see a movie. Wish I could've found out which movie he was there to see, but couldn't.

"King Kong" was a great flick, bee tee dub.

Huh?

I'm sorry, what did you say? What? WHAT?? I'm sorry, I can't hear you over this room.

[Courtesy of Retrocrush]

"Va Va Voom" Star of the Day

Helen Forrest
One of the more popular big band singers of the era, Helen Forrest is a performer that some might not consider a jazz vocalist, but she has the exceptional ability to project lyrics. Forrest used several names early in her career, among them The Blue Lady and Bonnie Blue. She began singing in her brother's band in Washington, D.C., then performed with Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Nat King Cole's trio, and Lionel Hampton.

In 1940 she then began to score hits working with the Harry James Orchestra. During the early '40s, she had a string of successes. Later she teamed with Dick Haymes on his radio show and on six duets that were big hits. Forrest cut back her activity in the '50s, then sang with Tommy Dorsey's Orchestra led by Sam Donahue in the early '60s. She continued to work on the club circuit in the '70s and '80s, making a new album for Stash in 1983.

I discovered her while watching the Esther Williams/Red Skelton flick "Bathing Beauty," where she is featured singing with Harry James and his Orchestra. Her voice and style is soothing and definitely gives the reminiscence of old time Americana.  Here's the scene (notice both Esther Williams and Helen Forrest gorgeous gowns!).

More info on her career can be found here.

Familiar Bedroom...

Is it just me or does this remind anyone else of the kids' bedroom in "Escape to Witch Mountain"? Bet you there's a Winnebago parked outside; Jason is waiting for Tony to make the harmonica play itself thereby distracting the bad guys.

Man, I love that movie. But, yeah, this bedroom sucks.

Retro Videos

Check out Rhino's website...they have a whole section of what they call "Retro Vids" where you can watch everything from 10,000 Maniacs to ZZ Top.

My personal faves to watch were "Gumby" (but only 2 of em...wah) and "Land of the Lost" episodes.

Star Sighting of the Day

Michael Cudlitz
Spotted this former "Beverly Hills 90210" castmate (anyone speak German?) while at the Coffee Bean on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City this morning. This makes the third cast member of the show I've seen in the last 6 months: Jennie Garth and Luke Perry being the other two.

You might also know him as the drunk obnoxious poet in "Grosse Pointe Blank."

What Kind of Cowboys...?

The Cowboy Bar in Jackson, WY

After the building developed both leprosy and hemorrhoids, attendence at the Cowboy Bar drastically declined.

[Courtesy of Lileks]

Sanka Saved This Family

At first I thought the top picture was the boy picking the coffee beans for the dad's coffee. However then I realized that poor Billy has pillows around his bum from being beaten so severely by his "old man." But you can't really be angry at the man for spanking little Billy over a harmless "boyish prank"...it's the "caffein" in his coffee. I'm sure the social worker is relieved to hear that the father's switched to Sanka.

Of course, the judge has ruled that Billy is not allowed in the house anymore, but must watch his father enjoying Sanka from the kitchen window. It's for the best.

On a total side note...I wonder what the prank was, seeing as how Billy is strapped up in chaps and spurs in every picture.

[Courtesy of Adflip]

Happy New Year!

Here's my New Year's wallpaper for you to have on your desktop this week.
...Hopefully your evening is as good as this guy's!

formatted for Macs at 1344 x 1008

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

Chocolate Martini
(I'm so exicted because I just realized I have all the makings for this in my home right now. Right. Now.)

In your iced tin, pour:
2 oz vodka
1 1/2 oz brown creme de cacao

Shake and strain into a chilled, cocoa-rimmed cocktail glass. Drop in a Hershey's kiss for added flavor, or garnish with a cherry.

Cheers!

Post-Christmas Recap

Usually I'm a little sad the day after Christmas - especially going back to work. But seeing as how my Christmas was exactly what I predicted, and I didn't get my hopes up too high, it hasn't been too much of a letdown.

I mean, I wish I had gotten the puppy or the iPod...and it wasn't particularly magical or romantic like I would've liked...but it was alright. Past Christmases have been better, let's just say that. But I got to spend time with my family and do laundry and not be at work. And all of those things are good.

My family has had to tone down the whole Christmas thing. First of all,
my budget was super-tight this year. Since I procrastinated taking my Bartending test, I don't have the second job that I hoped for. And everyone else in my family is more conservative this year with their spending. So the abundance of presents was not there.

Secondly, half of my siblings have families of their own now, so they want Christmas with their kids. Instead we only have Christmas Eve together: the big dinner and present-opening is all crammed into one day. Now that there are like 20 of us, the size of the table has gotten so big that we have to have two of everything on either side of the table, and I only can converse with 5 people in my family.

No more days of not being able to sleep because you're trying to hear Santa Claus in you're living room. Gone are the days of conspiring with your sister to wake up your parents at dawn. No more days of peeking out your bedroom to see if your stocking is full. Gone are the days of running down the stairs in footie pajamas to find a Big Wheel under the tree.

I guess I'm not upset or depressed about not having those Christmases like we used to...but it's just another reminder that I'm not a kid anymore.

Star Sighting of the Day

Dustin Hoffman
Saw the great actor while driving home yesterday. Just sitting in traffic on Sunset Blvd. like the rest of us commoners.

All I Want for Christmas...

I've decided that all I really want for Christmas is a Yorkshire terrier puppy.
But not just any Yorkshire terrier puppy.
This one.
It's the head tilt that's got me.

Aw wook at da cute widdle puppies...

My Christmas gift to you...a free Christmas desktop wallpaper. Cute, aren't they? Of course, now that I'm typing this, I am remembering that I don't like dalmations. Just 5 years ago a dalmatian bit me on my head, scratching my scalp with its teeth. I was inconsolable for 4 hours.

Oh well, Merry Christmas!

Star Sighting of the Day

Santa Claus
Last night I saw Saint Nick just south of Santa Monica Blvd. on a residential street corner. He was dressed in his full garb playing with 4 dogs. I rolled down the window and yelled "Santa!" but I was driving too fast for him to hear me. Wonder what he's doing in SoCal so close to Christmas...

Star Sighting of the Day

Alfonso Ribeiro
Today I spotted the "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" star at City Wok in Studio City.

More interesting than this celeb spotting, during the same lunch outing I witnessed a heated exchange in the middle of traffic on Ventura Blvd. The passenger in the truck next to me suddenly got out and the driver cried, "Gary! What are you doing?"

Gary said, "I'm outta here."

"You're just walking away from the job?" the driver yelled, as Gary headed for the sidewalk. "Gary! You walk away and you don't come back! Don't expect me to f&%$-ing carry your ass!"

Then I felt the driver turn to me, as he realized that both of our windows were down and I had heard the whole thing. Of course, growing up in L.A. I've learned to never make eye-contact with an angry driver, so I kept my eyes forward and drove on back to work.

Slumber Party!

"Betsy Sue, would you stop playing 'Hey Jude'?! I'm trying to crank call Howie!"

Apparently the 'new luxury look in slumber bags' is one big oxymoron.
[Courtesy of omodern]

Holidays of All Shapes & Sizes

Kinda weird how we're celebrating the holidays at my work. Everyday they're providing us with a holiday treat, complete with a fact-filled email on the history of the holiday. There's been Kwanzaa, Christmas, and Hanukkah...but today they ran out of holidays and are doing the Winter Solstice. The email attached to the menu states:

Long before Christmas, people celebrated Winter Solstice. They felt the celebrations made the sun god happy and hurried the coming of Spring. The celebrations were held on the eve of the shortest day of the year. A big log called the Yule log was burned in a great bon fire. People danced and sang around the fire. Families hung mistletoe from the doorways of their homes for good luck. It is still celebrated as part of the Wiccan religion.

Wonder what "holiday" we'll be celebrating tomorrow...we have yet to celebrate a holiday for the atheists (we'd get nothing) or satanists (we'd get fire and brimstone?).

Star Sighting of the Day

Michael Bergin
Michael Cade
It was a day of "Michaels at the Mall" as Lou and I grabbed some lunch. First we spotted Michael Bergin (left) walking with buddies from the gym.

Then when we got a table and sat down to eat, Michael Cade (right) walked over to a table near us. He took off his hat and said to the lady at the table next to him, "Can you watch this table for me while I go get something to eat?"

The lady nodded, so Cade went inside to get a sandwich, leaving his baseball cap at the table as an added saving-device. A couple minutes later two teenage boys approach the table. The lady didn't stop them.

"Um..." I start. "Those guys are taking his table."
Lou turns, shrugs and says, "Not our problem."
"But he asked her to save it," I said. "Why isn't she stopping them?"
"He didn't ask us to save it, so I'm not worrying about it," Lou says.
"Okay, good point," I concede.

Michael Cade then comes out and sees that what he thought was his table is now occupied. He looks at the woman and says, "Hey..."

She looks up innocently at him. He motions to the now-occupied table. "You didn't save my table," he tells her. "Remember I asked you to watch this table?"

"I didn't say yes!" she says, chuckling.

I turn to Lou and say, "What a bitch!"
And Lou's laughing. "That was awesome," he says with a huge smile.

Michael Cade, shocked, goes to another table and shakes his head. Guess she didn't recognize him from the hit NBC TV show "California Dreams." Otherwise, she definitely would've helped him out.

Dumpster Drama: Act V

It's time indeed for yet another Dumpster Drama.

This night's drama began at 4:00 AM - yes, in the dawn's early light. I heard some girl cackling as she spoke with two other male voices. It went on for a while until suddenly a man from my building yelled: "Hey, could you shut up? Some of us are trying to sleep!"

The girl acted shocked and hurt as she replied, "Oh my God...Shut up." Her dudes laughed with her.

The sleepy guy yelled back: "Why don't you make your money on some other corner?!"

And the classy girl shouted back: "[Eff] you!"

Now, I know I don't have hookers in my neighborhood...celebrities, yes. Hookers, no. But it made me think that no matter where you live - or how much rent you pay - there's trash everywhere. And not just in the dumpster.

And...Curtain.

Relive the dramatic moments of Act I, Act II, Act III, and Act IV.

Yummy Christmas...Thingie

Happy Holidays!
Grandma has decided to make her famous Vomit Wreath. Don't worry, there's a knife there so you can serve yourself a big hunking slice. Now don't fight over the gooey ribbon! Everyone can have a piece. Mmmmm.....
[Courtesy of Lileks]

"Va Va Vodka" Ad of the Day

Not only does this ad have my favorite singer in it, Miss Julie London - the Lounge's first "Va Va Voom" Star of the Day - but it's for vodka for petesake!

I love you Smirnoff and AdClassix!

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

Cowboy C---sucker
(A shot for our "Va-Va Voom" Star of the Day)
1/3 oz Butterscotch Schnapps
1/3 oz Irish Cream
1/3 oz Southern Comfort

Shake and strain into a shot glass.

Shoot em up, cowboy!

"Va Va Voom" Star of the Day

Steve McQueen
The "King of Cool" was known for his wild antics and crazy lifestyle; he loved motorcycles and fast cars, and has become one of the most emulated actors ever. He played many great roles but was most known for "Papillion," "Bullitt," "The Thomas Crown Affair," and my two personal favorites "The Great Escape" and "The Magnificent Seven."

He fought often with directors over his involvement in stunts; he wanted to do them all, while the directors didn't want to risk it. He was into motorcycles and race cars long before it became "hip" in Hollywood to do so, and he raced both professionally. At one point in his career, he considered taking up auto racing full time, showing that his passion for racing and fast machines was more than a publicity move, as it seems to have become for today's actors.

Although he was the highest paid star of the 1960s Steve McQueen had a reputation for being tightfisted. On some films he would demand 10 electric razors, and dozens of pairs of jeans. It was later found out he gave this stuff to Boys Republic, a private school and treatment community for troubled youngsters, where he spent a few years himself.

He trained in Tang Soo Do with 9th degree blackbelt Pat E. Johnson, and loved dirt biking. He always had ideas for movies, of course featuring himself in the lead. McQueen proposed the idea for the film "The Bodyguard," but this was forgotten for 16 long years, until 1992 when Kevin Kostner made it. This explains Kostner's McQueen-type haircut in the film.

McQueen was diagnosed with a form of lung cancer, mesothelioma, which is related to asbestos exposure, although McQueen had been a heavy smoker as well. He wore an asbestos-insulated racers suit in his race cars, and possibly was exposed to the harmful insulating material during his stint in the Marines.

He eventually died from two heart attacks at 3:45 am on November 7, 1980, less than 24 hours after undergoing successful surgery to remove the cancerous tumors in his stomach. According to the doctor present at the operation, his right lung was entirely cancerous. He was only 50 years old.

I like him because he was a man's man, had a great sense of timing, and was a live wire. These aren't the greatest attributes to have in life, but they're amazing to watch on-screen.

Visit a great fansite dedicated to him here, or his IMDb profile, both of where this information came from.

...And if you'd like desktop wallpapers of Steve or any of the previous "Va-Va Voom" Stars of the Day, email me.

Fuzzy & Orange...a great combination

How many Muppets had to die to furnish this bedroom?
[Courtesy of omodern]

Making My Christmas Brighter...

That last post was just too depressing.
I had to see these flaming ice cream snowballs to cheer me up.
Merry Christmas!!
(There, I said it.)
[Courtesy of Ephemera Now]

Not-So-Merry Christmas in the News

Whatever happened to "Peace on Earth"?

The war over giving Christmas greetings rages on.

Drunken Santas storm the city in a rage against commercialism.

A flasher dressed as Santa Claus hits London.

A carbon monoxide leak may cancel a local church's Christmas service.

Fire breaks up the Radio City Music Hall famous Rockettes Show "Christmas Spectacular."

A local man finds all of his Christmas presents are missing from his home.

[Photo courtesy of Reuters]

Vodka Injections

Looks like a couple people around the globe found The Lounge most helpful. After typing in "vodka oranges injected" on Google a couple lucky people were directed to my "Va Va Voom" Star of the Day Errol Flynn post that I put up a while ago.

Sure enough, we're #2 in the department.I hope this helped them learn a little bit more about how to inject fruit with alcohol.

Cheers!

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

We're still in the middle of holiday party season so today's "cocktail" is the best party shot of them all:

Jell-O Shots

And I'm going to skip the whole P.C. "gelatin-based treat" bullshit and just cut to the chase: it's Jell-O, people. Get over it.

You can make Jell-O shots with almost any type of alcohol, but just make sure the proportions of alcohol and cold water are good; this will help the shot set properly. The higher the proof of alcohol, the more water that is required for it to set. For example, for an alcohol that's 30-50 proof, use 13 oz of alcohol to 3 oz of cold water. A typical recipe is:

6 oz of Jell-O (or a large package)
16 oz of boiling water
6 oz of cold water
10 oz of Vodka

Mix the Jell-O mix with the boiling water until the powder is fully disolved and add the cold water and alcohol. Pour the cooling mixture into either shot glasses or paper cups. Refrigerate until Jell-O has set.

Although shot glasses are more attractive, paper cups are more practical because they can be turned inside out to get free the Jell-O shot from the cup. Be sure to also provide toothpicks, plastic knives, or some other gear to help free the shot. Warming the glass will cause the shot to slide free quickly, as well. Steep the shots in warm water for less than a minute right before serving.

Get creative with your Jell-O shots. Just about any combination of Jell-O flavors and alcohol can make unique shots. Try to experiment and make the following: Rum & Coke Jell-O Shot, Mai Tai Jell-O Shot, Bocce Ball Jell-O Shot, Margarita Jell-O Shot, or a Lemon Drop Jell-O Shot.

Cheers!

[Information courtesy of Drinkstreet]

Safe to Use...

"...insect killer for use around children, food, pets!"
This isn't around. This is over the kid's head.
[Courtesy of Chickenhead]

Holiday Party Aftermath - Part 2

The pieces are coming together.

After the dinner we went to Barney's Beanery in West Hollywood. There was karaoke...I had another beer (don't know how I got it)...more photos were taken...asses were grabbed...sexual harassment possibilites abound.

Bad as I thought it was, pictures and other people have told me that I wasn't that bad. Well, not like I was the best-behaved person there, but - on the bright side - my rep as a great drinker is still intact. In fact, I remember the bartender commending me that night on how I was the smartest girl because I ordered drinks with the most alcohol. Bartending School does come in handy.

Things are looking better. Thankfully my reputation of not being a complete whore has cleared any rumors of me hooking up with any guys. Apparently the tears were because of a lost purse/car debacle, which ended up being nothing but a memory-erased mistake. The valet found my car, with my purse inside already. How it got there I still don't know. But I got home through the grace of God and a semi-sober male co-worker, who was kind enough not to take advantage of me in my horrible condition. I guess a blubbering, weepy girl is not attractive, no matter how drunk she is.

And no matter how much I dreaded it, I'm glad I made it into to work today. First of all to clean out that stupid rumor mill, and secondly to win the "Best & Worst of American Idol" on DVD in the department gift swap. Yay!

Too...Many...Flowers.

Holy Flower Power, Batman.

It's almost like the "I Love Lucy" episode, where Lucy wallpapers over the windows, the light sockets, the door...I think there might even be a person hidden in here somewhere.

[Courtesy of Retrocrush]

Holiday Party Aftermath - Part 1

You know you're in trouble when two days after the company holiday party, people are still coming up to you with a knowing smile, saying "How was your night?"

As you can tell by the lack of posts yesterday, I didn't come into work. That's because I woke up yesterday still drunk. I called in to work at 7 AM and my message to my boss was simple: "I won't be in today. Bye." Then I fell back asleep.

1 PM in the afternoon I wake up and am still drunk. I go to the kitchen to get some water, and I find that my clothes and things are all over the living room. I must've closed the door, taken off all my garb right there, and passed out in my bed. But how did I get home? Still can't remember.

But slowly images of the past evening waft past me. Four Long Island Iced Teas. A glass of red wine. A cigarette. A tequila sunset. And this is all at the company dinner. But I remember going somewhere else after the dinner ended. There were a lot of people, pictures being taken, and I think I lost my purse and/or car somewhere along the way. When I go to the mirror I also can tell that I've been sobbing uncontrollably.

What the hell happened that night? Today at work people are giving me looks... sympathetic, knowing, smirky... I guess I've been paired off with a couple different guys that work here in the rumor mill. All I'm doing today is rumor-control. You'd think with all that I drank I should have hooked up with someone. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

More to come as the memories flood in.

"Va Va Voom" Star of the Day

Norma Shearer
Silent film siren Norma Shearer was nicknamed "The First Lady of MGM," as she was the first female actress in the golden age of the studio. She was spotted by Louis B. Mayer's 'number two' man Irving Thalberg in 1923. So impressed was Thalberg by her unique look and talent that he not only signed her for a multi-year contract, but he married her.

Norma seemed to easily transform into the talkie age of cinema; she got an Academy Award in 1930 for her role in "The Divorcee," and several Oscar nominations after that. In 1936, Irving died. During this time, Norma was working on their best and most expensive venture together, "Marie Antoinette." Some believe that this is her best film.

Through this success, Norma still worried about her appearance. She felt that her face was too round and her legs too big. Her insecurities were compounded when Hollywood began to agree with her, believing that she was only with Thalberg to move ahead. Many fellow actors felt she got roles because of his pull in the studio, especially Joan Crawford, who made life on the set of "The Women" a living hell.

Norma had trouble convincing Hollywood that she was talented, no matter how many Oscar nominations she had received. The public was not open to the idea of her playing Scarlet O'Hara in "Gone With the Wind;" so open were the protests that she turned down the career-defining role.

She retired from the screen in 1942, wishing to live a more private life. She died in 1983 of Alzheimer's and Pneumonia.

I read about Norma Shearer in the book "The Golden Girls of MGM" and fell in love with her unique, fresh face and her almost tragic story. I love her classic beauty and the way she had to prove herself in Hollywood. Looking at her accomplishments, it's obvious that her talent is deeper than we may ever know.

Visit a great tribute website dedicated to her at Classic Movie Favorites, loaded with tons of pictures and information.

If you'd like desktop wallpapers that I made of any "Va Va Voom" Stars, email me!

Holiday Party Memo

Today is my company's holiday party, and this time of year always reminds me of this piece I read on Snopes.

We're so wrapped up in pleasing everyone in this overly PC'd world we've created, we forget to just have fun.

Holiday Party Memo

[Illustration courtesy of Ephemera Now]

My previous rant on holiday parties is here.

She Wanted a Stable Home...

[Courtesy of OModern.com]

I'm going to overlook the clausterphobic green color, and I'll even dismiss the strange placement of an herb garden on the floor directly in the way of getting to the fresh vegetables. Because no amount of frying fish or cabbage stew will get rid of the odors of what's adjacent to this kitchen.

Maybe it's just a toy kitchen...after all, the woman has Barbie toes.

Previous Interior Design Disasters: #1 and #2.

Scarier Than Halloween Itself...

I know I'm way out of season, but...

Retrocrush has compiled a photolog of The Worst Halloween Costumes Ever, all made from that cheap plastic with those horrible non-biodegradable polyfoam aprons. The ones that you dreaded because you could barely breathe in them. And the characters they portray are even worse than the quality of the costumes themselves.

Example on the left: the tacky "Baretta" costume.

No, I Did Not Mean "sweet pea"

Today my name hit #2 on the Google results!
Must've been the addition of cleavage on the new Lounge banner.

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

Californian Cocktail

In your iced tin, pour:

1 1/2 oz sweet vermouth

1 oz blended whiskey

2 oz orange juice

6 or so dashes of orgeat

Shake and strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Cheers!

Ask for a booth...

Larentien Restaurant in Quebec City, Canada

Now here is a restaurant that knows the right way to keep customers happy: keep a well-stocked bar at the end of every row.

[Courtesy of Lileks]

Dumpster Drama: Act IV

It's time once again for another Dumpster Drama. I was walking from my car to the dumpster/carport area when I saw one of my neighbors (the hot fitness instructor who unfortunately lives with his girlfriend) staring up at the building.

He looked like he was peeping-Tomming into someone's bedroom window, and I must've given him a quizzical look, because Muscles turned to me and explained, "My cat escaped our apartment and is on the roof."

He pointed up and - sure enough - there was the little feline, mewing atop the second-story building, looking down at us with his frightened, whiskered face. "Come down here!" Muscles shouted up to him, and the cat just meowed back. The little daredevil seemed to be enjoying the attention; he walked along the roof, none-too-carefully, almost strutting his prowess of balance and grace on such a precarious ledge.

Then, in the most sudden and dramatic flurry, the cat decided he was done with his trick and took a Peter Pan off the roof, his four legs outstretched. Muscles shouted, "Winston!!" and I gasped, just as the cat (which I assumed was named Winston) landed directly in the burly arms of Muscles (the lucky pussy).

Without a word to me, Muscles held Winston close and took him inside, berating him for giving us a fright. And I found myself chuckling, realizing how even the strongest of giants has their weakness.

And...Curtain.

Relive the dramatic moments of Act I, Act II, and Act III.

Dream Cocktail Set

Man, I want a Whiskey Cement Mixer!

I wonder if it shoots the whiskey out into the glass once it's done mixing. I also want to know what the book "Aristocrat of Bonds" is about.

[Courtesy of Ephemera Now]

Interior Design Disaster

"Guests of the End of the World stay at the Gates of Hell Hotel in the Apocalypse Room, complete with a blood-washed wall honoring a bovine skull..."

I can't decide if this is an office or not, because the desk (or table?) looks so stale and uniform, but I can't imagine any woman wearing such a luscious, lemon-colored evening gown to the office. But she does have that blank stare that I often get at work though... it's a tough call.

I'm most confused by the Rorschach inkblot curtains. At first I saw a cowboy on horseback, but on second look I saw a frog on stilts wearing a sombrero. I wonder what Freud would say.

Previous Interior Design Disaster.

Cocktail Recipe Du Jour

Brunette

In an iced tin, pour:
3/4 oz Kahlua
3/4 oz bourbon
3/4 oz cream
1 dash of sugar
Shake and strain into a cocktail glass.

Cheers!